Erika Kessler
Save the Unicorns
Cause of listing, main threats, animal description, ecology of the habitat
The saola, also known as the "Asian Unicorn", resides in Vietnam and in the small country of Laos. In Vietnamese, the name means "Spindle Horns". As mentioned by the indigenous people, their horns often resemble the supports of Spindles. The Saola’s appearance can be compared to a goat, with a dark brown coat, two horns protruding from its forehead and noticeable white markings on its face. According to WWF Global, their weight varies from about 80 to 100 kg and the height is about 85cm.
If this sounds unfamiliar to you, don’t worry. You’re not alone. Saolas are a fairly new species for the industrialized world, they were first discovered two decades ago when a skull was found in a local's home. Unfortunately, it did not take long after its discovery for the threat to its existence to become apparent. In only two years after its discovery, the Saola was put on the endangered species list as “endangered”. Merely twelve years after that (2006), it was moved to "Critically Endangered", where it remains today.
"The saola was discovered in May 1992 during a joint survey carried out by the Ministry of Forestry of Vietnam and WWF in north-central Vietnam. The team found a skull with unusual long, straight horns in a hunter's home and knew it was something extraordinary (worldwildlife.org)
Dr. Duo Toac, a member of the team that discovered the species, was struck by the resemblance the skulls had to the Arabian Oryx. However, he knew that the habitat of the Arabian Oryx was much different than the forests of Vietnam. It was then that he knew that he was looking at a skull of an entirely new, undiscovered species- the first undiscovered large mammal in more than 50 years.
The forests of Vietnam, the range of the saola, is described as Annamite Range moist forests. The annamite forests are a stretch of forest in Indochina celebrated for outstanding biodiversity. They are home to many plants and animals, and thus is known for high level of endemism.
Unfortunately, this area is under attack from a new threat. Humans. Expanding infrastructure, logging and agriculture threaten the Annamite forests, and the range of the saola is dwindling. Specifically, there is a highway that appears to put the already stressed species into further turmoil. The Highway intersects patches of populations, creating a divide between the species. However, the biggest threat to Saolas is not the infrastructure, it’s the snares. Snares put in the forest by local hunters often catch this critically endangered creature as bycatch.
Historic Population and Grounds
Since Saolas were so recently discovered, there is no data on where their historic ranges were, but it is likely that they are in the same area that they occupy currently, around the Annamite Range Moist forests which is 10,000 to 15,000 square km. It is also impossible to know how steadily their populations are decreasing, as scientists were never able to get an accurate estimate of how many were left in the wild. It is difficult to know how many of these majestic creatures still live in the forests of Vietnam and Laos. To this day, no scientist has seen a Saola in the wild, only on wildlife cameras. The animals are much too secretive to be easily found. This makes it impossible to get an accurate number through tagging and recapturing.The only thing that they do know, is that the populations are probably decreasing as members of the indigenous population stated that there were fewer of them in recent years.
Recovery Plan:
Most of the goals of recovery are made by independent conservation minded organizations. As the local area of Vietnam and Laos where these creatures live is not an affluent country, it mostly comes down to foreign aid of individual organizations working in conjunction to preserve these endangered creatures.
The UK government with the Darwin organization is a part of a program that provides money to help fund a program that provides local enforcement to the forests. This enforcement would see that the hunting regulations were being followed and working to dismantle snares inside the forest.
The Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources is working to get an accurate count of how many Saolas are in the wild.
The Telometry project by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute will collect more information about saolas and their ecology. It will also capture saolas and then release them with radio collars and proceed to examine them by satellite.
Two editions of a Conservation Action Plan have also been created, but the local government has not approved them, so they have not been implemented.
Call to action
Unfortunately, there are some people who believe that Saola populations are already too low to be viable for continued survival. It is predicted that eventually, the species will go extinct due to its low genetic diversity, low protection against disease and inbreeding. While far in the future, de-extinction may become a possibility, not enough information exists about it yet.
Want to help?
If it is within your current means, this website savethesaola.org works towards the conservation of the Saola population and they gratefully accept donations.
If donating is not within your means, you can live mindfully by purchasing eco-friendly products, properly disposing of your trash, and recycling. Living this way takes no more time than before, and you can feel good about what you’re doing for the ecosystem and for the conservation of your local species.
First Picture from: http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2013/11/13/1226759/370831-saola-asian-unicorn.jpg
Second Picture from: http://40.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljyadhQNDd1qeeqk5o1_500.jpg
Want to learn more? These websites are good sources of information and were used in the production of this blog post.
"Saola Overview." Worldwildlife. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2015.
"Pseudoryx Nghetinhensis." Iucnredlist. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2015.
"Saola." WWF. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2015.
"SAVING THE SAOLA - INTENSIFYING PROTECTION ACROSS A TRANS-BOUNDARY LANDSCAPE." Sosspecies. N.p., 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 3 Dec. 2015.
"Saola Working Group." Home -. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2015.
I wasn't sure what to think when I saw the title of the blog and I was a little disappointed at first, that it was't about actual unicorns but the Saola is pretty cool too.
ReplyDeleteI like that you ended the blog with things people can do to save all endanger species. Nice job :)
-Sami Jones #BIO227Fall2015
Was very intrigued by the title! It's always disappointing when it feels like there's nothing you can do to help but will definitely spread the word and take the small, easy everyday steps.
ReplyDelete- Rebecca Kang #BIO227Fall2015
I really enjoyed that you gave the backstory of the species. It added to its description, and it was interesting to learn about. Also, I appreciated that your 'call-to-action' for your audience was reasonable and realistic. Great work.
ReplyDelete- Natalie Kerr #BIO227Fall2015
I am doing a siece progect and this was so helpful and i really think people will use this thank u so mutch for this information
ReplyDelete